Age does not define a hero - Marcus Rashford

By Oleg Bkhambri (Voltmetro) - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=71213067

Schools all over the world began shutting down in March due to COVID-19. In the UK, a food voucher program was then implemented providing students with 15 pounds ($19) each week to be used in supermarkets.

With the school year set to end in July, the vouchers would then be due to expire with kids going on to summer break.

By Кирилл Венедиктов - https://www.soccer.ru/galery/1055768/photo/734135, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=70550289

Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford expressed much resistance towards the expiration, saying, “As a black man from a low-income family in Wythenshawe, Manchester, I could have been just another statistic... I would be doing myself, my family, and my community an injustice if I didn’t stand here today with my voice and my platform and ask you for help.”

Rashford wrote a letter to the government urging them to reconsider their decision to cut off the voucher scheme and allowing kids all over the UK to continue being supported through this pandemic.

To no one’s surprise, the campaign gained many supporters, including celebrities, politicians, and even Conservative lawmakers, to receiving an eventual overturn of the expiration.

The government-backed Rashford’s campaign and decided to continue the voucher program through the summer, allotting 120 million pounds towards the system.

By Oleg Bkhambri (Voltmetro) - Own work, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=70641056

Understanding where these kids were coming from and relating to their upbringings, Marcus Rashford, at just 22 years old, was able to put food on the table for millions of kids all over the UK.

On behalf of our entire team at Love for the Sport, we extend a special thank you to you, Marcus.

We hope to see more athletes use their platform to inspire and continue to see many acts of kindness unfold in the coming months.

You are an inspiration. You are a difference-maker. But most importantly, Marcus Rashford is a hero to children and families all over the world.